World Design Capital 2012 Helsinki embeds design in life HELSINKI, Finland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Helsinki will be the World Design Capital of 2012. The designation was announced by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (Icsid) at the Icsid World Design Congress 2009 in Singapore on November 25, 2009. “This is a magnificent achievement and an important recognition for Helsinki, the collaborating cities of Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti, and all the participating organizations and individuals. We have received a unique opportunity and will be taking every advantage of it,” says Helsinki Mayor Jussi Pajunen, accepting the World Design Capital 2012 designation at the Icsid World Design Congress. Altogether 46 cities from 27 countries applied for the designation. An international jury first shortlisted Helsinki and Eindhoven of the Netherlands before awarding the designation to Helsinki. The title of Helsinki’s bid for the designation was Open Helsinki – Embedding Design in Life. The concept expressed by the title will form the basis of Helsinki’s ambitious program for the design year 2012. “We will invite all citizens, enterprises and organizations, as well as visiting design professionals and enthusiasts, to participate in the preparations and the events of 2012,” Mayor Pajunen says. “This is a major challenge for us to use design in Helsinki and in the other participating cities to develop our cities from the social, economic and cultural perspectives, according to the World Design Capital project’s vision.” Pointing out that design should be seen from a broad perspective, he says, “Our goal is to build a better city and to improve our quality of life.” Helsinki will be the third World Design Capital, following Turin (Torino, 2008) and Seoul (2010). The biennial designation is given to one city at a time.
